Tales From Mystic Falls High's Teacher's Lounge
by BellaLeigh1
Summary: Hook-ups, break-ups, and family drama. In Mystic Falls High, the teachers are as bad as the students, and the rumor mill is always going. Then again, what else can you expect when you put all seven Mikaelsons in one building for eight hours a day?
1. The Start of a Very Long Year

_Special note: In order to include Hope without making any of the others old enough to be her parents, I've made her the youngest Mikaelson sibling, essentially taking Henrik's place on the family tree._

**~TFMYHTL~**

Alaric Saltzman sat in a corner of the teacher's lounge of Mystic Falls High School on the first day of school and watched his staff stumble in. And for some of them, stumble was definitely the right word.

Hayley Marshall made a beeline for the coffee pot. "Woke up late." she gave as an explanation for anyone that might actually be listening.

Though Ric wasn't sure that anyone actually _was_ listening. They all seemed to be in their own little worlds. Which was pretty typical for the first day. The teachers tended to be as bad as the students when it came to getting used to waking up early for school. Maybe actually worse. Most of the students couldn't blame their issues on too much alcohol the night before like at least some of the teachers could.

Caroline Forbes was, as usual, way too perky for most of the others to deal with this early in the morning. "Good morning, everyone! I really think this is going to be a good year. And, Oh. My. God! We actually have _all_ of the Mikaelsons here, now. How awesome is that?"

"Yes, love. Because there's nothing we all like more than working with our siblings. I'm sure Alaric just adores having all of our family drama dragged through the halls of the school. To say nothing of poor Hope, who _never_ gets a break from Elijah."

"If you don't like working with us, Niklaus, you can always get a job elsewhere. I'm sure that Alaric would give you a glowing reference. You may be a pain in the ass, but you _are_ good at what you do." Elijah walked over to where Hayley was somehow still fighting with the coffee pot, having apparently had trouble figuring out where the cups were. Had the girl gotten _any_ sleep last night? "Need some help, there?" He put his hands on her waist and gently moved her out of the way before grabbing two coffee cups and pouring coffee for both of them.

Ric glanced around the room. No, he wasn't the only one staring at the little domestic tableau playing out at the coffee maker. Everyone in the room just watched as Elijah put cream and sugar into one of the cups before handing it to Hayley

"Thank you, Elijah." She sighed. "I think I'm just going to drink this at my desk. Try to get myself organized for my first class, because I'm really not prepared."

"I'll walk with you." And before anybody had a chance to react, they were both gone, coffee cups in hand. And a room full of teachers staring after them.

It was Damon that broke the silence they left in their wake. "All right. I need one of you Mikaelsons to spill. What was that all about? Because that? That looked like me and Elena."

Klaus shook his head. "You've got me. Care? You're Hayley's best friend. Any ideas on what is going on between those two?"

Caroline's eyes were wide. Did Klaus really expect her to have an answer? Hayley Marshall and Elijah Mikaelson had just done the impossible. They had rendered Caroline Forbes speechless. Ric would have thought the stars would burn out before that happened. "No. If there's anything going on, it's news to me."

"If?" Koll rolled his eyes. "You do have eyes, right? You saw the same thing I did? I'm starting to wonder if my dear big brother is the reason Hayley is so tired, this morning." But then his interest in his brother's sex life seemed to go right out the window when the new student teacher walked in. He nudged Josh. "Stop the press, who's that?"

It was Marcel that answered him, though. "No."

"Her name is no?"

"Her name is if you touch her, I will kill you."

Kol's response was to walk up to her. "So, I've been told that your name is 'if you touch her, I will kill you' which is awfully unwieldy. So, since I don't want to have to rattle that whole mess off just to try to get your attention, what do you prefer to be called?

She laughed. "I'm Davina. And you are?"

"Kol Mikaelson. I teach Chemistry. Perhaps you can help me with some experiments, later on?"

Stefan choked on his donut. "He's as subtle as a brick through a window."

Elena laughed. "Just be glad that he teaches Chemistry. Because I would not put it past him to ask her for help with a Biology experiment, either."

Marcel shook his head and walked over to them. "Come on, D. We'll go over a few lesson plans while we wait for our first class of the day. You can help me see if any changes need to be made."

Josh spoke for the first time that morning. "I should get out of here, too. I don't have a first period class, but I wanted to stop in the library for some research." And then he was gone.

Klaus frowned. "What in the world can he possibly have to research on the first day before he teaches a single class?"

Caroline laughed. "My guess would be the very cute librarian." She grabbed Klaus's arm. "Walk me to class?"

That seemed to be the cue for most of the others to go start getting their own classrooms ready for the day. After only a few minutes, Ric was alone with only the Salvatore brothers, who seemed in no hurry to leave. He sighed. "Maybe I should make a no fraternization rule."

Stefan laughed. "You could. But then you'd have to fire 90% of your staff."

"Would Elena and I be grandfathered in?"

Ric put his head in his hands. "I hate all of you. Why are you still here? Don't you have classes to teach? Go!" He sighed as they walked out. It was going to be a long year. The teachers were worse than the students.

**~TFMFHTL~**

Elijah, for his part, was completely oblivious to the scene he and Hayley had caused in the teacher's lounge. What he was not oblivious to was the smell of Hayley's shampoo. Or the slight hitch in her breath when he had put his hands on her. Or the sultry, husky tone of her voice when she had said his name. Oh, that had just been the lack of caffeine. A morning voice that would go back to normal once she finished waking up. But, there was a part of him wondering if that's what she would sound like in bed. And that part of him very much wanted to find out. Actually, if he was being honest with himself, there was no part of him that_ didn't_ want to find out. Having Hayley Marshall naked beneath him, moaning in pleasure while he moved inside her, had been his favorite fantasy from the moment she had walked into the teacher's lounge three years ago.

He shook his head. He was as bad as his younger brothers. He should not be walking through the halls of the school thinking about what it would be like to make love to one of his coworkers.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Nothing much. Just typical first day stuff." The sad part was, it wasn't even a lie. Well, except for it only being first day stuff. More like all day, every day. He really needed to get his act together. Or maybe what he needed to do was man up. Maybe this should be the year he finally got up the courage to ask her out. He looked over at her. Yes, it would take quite a bit of courage for that. To risk, not only rejection, but ruining the easy friendship they had developed. Maybe he had already waited too long. He sighed.

Hayley stopped. "Okay, what's wrong?"

"Today is the first day of Hope's senior year. By this time next year, I will no longer be her legal guardian. I'm going to miss her when she goes away to school. Seems silly. She would call it finally getting my life back. But... I've gotten used to having her around." It wasn't a total lie. He did think about that a lot, lately. It just wasn't actually what was on his mind at that particular moment. "Anyway... this is me. I'll see you at lunch?"

She gave him a smile that was almost enough to stop his heart. "Definitely. See you, then."

He turned and walked into his classroom before he could do something stupid like trying to kiss her. This was going to be a long year.

**~TFMFHTL~**

Hope smiled as Landon walked up to her locker. "Hey there. We never compared schedules. Where are you off to first?"

Landon groaned. "Art. Why do I have to have art first period? Who can be creative this early in the morning? Well, besides your brother. Who hates me."

She rolled her eyes. "Klaus does not hate you. He might think you're not good enough for me, but nobody is good enough for any of us as far as he's concerned. He'll get over it. Elijah likes you well enough, which is what matters." She grabbed her Economics book and closed her locker.

"Oh. Elijah liking me is what matters, huh? I don't know. Your opinion is the one I'm most concerned with."

She shook her head with a laugh. "Fishing for compliments, Kirby?" She slid her free hand around his neck. "How's this for an answer?" She kissed him deeply, then moaned as he turned them, to press her against the locker.

"Don't you two have somewhere to be? Class starts in less than five minutes. I suggest you both get to it. You, especially, Landon. I highly doubt that Nik would be very forgiving of you being late to class because you're busy feeling up his baby sister."

"I wasn't... It was just a kiss... Right. I'll see you at lunch, Hope. I mean, unless we have a class together before then."

Hope watched him walk away and then turned on her sister. "Honestly, Rebekah? I don't see you giving anyone else a hard time about..."

"About making out in the halls? No, maybe I'm not. Then again, none of them are my little sister. I'm responsible for you in a way that I'm not for any of them."

"Actually, you aren't responsible for me. Elijah is. You are five years older than me, Rebekah. Please stop trying to act like my mother."

"You're right. Elijah is responsible for you. So, does that mean you'd rather I tell him about this? Because I highly doubt he'd be just fine with it."

Hope clenched her fist and opened her locker.

"What are you doing? You already have your books, what do you need now?"

"This." She slammed the locker hard enough to rattle the entire row.

Senior year. The year she was supposed to be having fun, getting ready for the freedom of college. Instead, she was going to have all six of her older siblings breathing down her neck._ One more year, Hope. This time next year, you'll be away at college. No more siblings who all think that they have the right to tell you what to do. And Elijah will finally be free to have a life of his own, too._ She could get through one more year. They both could. She felt Rebekah's eyes on her the entire time she walked down the hallway. It was going to be a long year.


	2. Changes Are Coming

_The speculation about Hayley and Elijah continues, and Klaus makes a decision about his future._

**~TFMFHTL~**

Klaus grabbed his lunch out of the refrigerator and sat down. He had just started eating when the door opened and Hayley and Elijah walked in together. He hid his smile. Oh, he was sure that they would say that they just happened to be in the same hallway, so it made sense to walk together. But, they weren't fooling anyone. Except maybe themselves.

"So, how was your morning?"

Klaus raised an eyebrow at Hayley's question. Had they walked here in silence? Or had they been talking about something else entirely until now?

"Not bad. Then again, it's the first day. If we have any real problems today, I may quit."

Hayley reached up and put her finger to Elijah's lips. "Shh… Don't tempt the universe. I have been having a good morning. For all that I think I was more than halfway through my first class before I actually woke up." They separated, then. Hayley taking her lunch bag out of her purse and sitting down to eat, while Elijah went to the refrigerator to get his own lunch.

"Yes. You did seem more than a little out of it, this morning. Rough night?"

"You could say that. Nothing actually wrong. Just got a bout of insomnia at the worst possible time is all."

"Does that happen often?"

"You are not sending me down to Keelin. I'm fine. But, everyone has trouble sleeping once in a while. I'm sure that tomorrow will be better."

It was when Elijah sat down across from Hayley that he seemed to notice what she had done. "You were so out of it this morning that you forgot to put your lunch away?"

"I'm impressed that I remembered to make it."

"Should I start bringing extra in case you have a rough night, again?"

She laughed. "You don't have to do that. I'm a big girl. I can manage to feed myself. Really."

"Oh, believe me, Hayley. I've noticed that you're a big girl."

Klaus choked at that. "He's almost as bad as Kol." He muttered to Caroline, who was staring wide-eyed at them. She just nodded while they continued to unashamedly eavesdrop on his brother's conversation.

"That was not at all my implication. I just don't want you going hungry because you forgot to make a lunch."

"There's always the cafeteria if I do. I'm fine. Really." If she had noticed his other comment, she was ignoring it.

He shuddered. "High school cafeteria food is barely fit for human consumption. Even Hope refuses to eat it and brings a lunch."

"Hey! We do the best we can!"

"That was not a dig at you, Alaric. You don't have any real control over the menu. That's on the school board."

"Sorry. I can't help getting a little defensive when people complain."

"We're all teachers. We get it. We've all gotten yelled at for things that are not our fault. Every year, I have at least one parent who is in my classroom at least once a month to ask why their kid is failing my class, when the reason their kid is failing my class is because I've never seen the kid."

_Try teaching a subject that half the parents think is pointless, so you have them expecting you to give their kid a good grade even though you've never seen them just because you're bringing their GPA down for no good reason._

Hayley laughed. "Why do we do this, again?"

"Because, for every one of those kids, and parents, there's another kid who soaks everything up like a sponge and gets all excited about the weirdest things, but their enthusiasm is infectious?"

She nodded. "Yeah. That sounds about right. And that moment where you watch a kid who's been struggling most of the year suddenly _get_ what you're trying to teach them. But, speaking of excited kids with infectious enthusiasm… I have a freshman that I think will be bugging Caroline soon."

"Oh? And what will I be bugged about?"

"Auditioning for the school play. And suggestions for what that play should be. He's a major Shakespeare nut."

Caroline sighed."And I suppose he wants to play Romeo?"

"Nope. Prospero."

Caroline blinked. "The Tempest? Interesting. Well, tell him that if he wants to come talk to me about it, I'll hear him out. I'm always interested in if the students have a new take on things. Though, that one is a bit lesser known, so could be interesting even with a classic interpretation."

Elijah smiled. "And that, is why we do this. I wonder if he'll be as interested in what I have to teach him."

"I guess you'll find out."

The room became quiet then, as they all became a bit intent on their lunches. Hayley was the first one to finish eating. Which seemed to make Elijah want to tease her. "Hungry?"

"A little, yeah. I kind of skipped breakfast."

"Seriously? You, young lady, are a danger to yourself, sometimes. Elena! Since I am forbidden to make her go see Keelin, maybe you can impart on our dear English teacher the importance of a healthy breakfast."

"Or, you could just go to her house every morning and make sure she's eating properly." _If you aren't there already, that is._ He glanced over at Caroline and noticed the sparkle in her eyes, and the slight smirk that she was not doing a very good job of hiding. It looked like she was thinking the exact same thing.

"Don't tempt me, Niklaus."

"Are you all having fun talking about me like I'm not here? I'm not a child, guys. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself most days. Don't pretend that none of you have ever had a bad morning. At least my problem was just insomnia and not a hangover. Which is more than I can say for some of you, sometimes."

"Ouch! Well, apparently having nothing more than a cup of coffee for breakfast hasn't dulled her wits any. She's as snarky as ever."

"Yeah. It's been real, guys. But, I'm going to get back to my classroom. Walk with me, Elijah?"

He nodded and they walked out.

Klaus watched them walk out together and shook his head. But, once they were gone he couldn't resist making the comment that he was probably not the only one thinking. "Are we all absolutely sure they're not sleeping together?"

"I'm not sure of anything, little brother. You'll notice that I am also done with my lunch, and my classroom is in the same hallway as theirs, and yet neither of them asked if I wanted to walk with them."

"Like they want to be alone?"

"Or, like they are completely oblivious to the existence of the rest of us."

"Boys! Stop talking about your brother behind his back. He and Hayley are both adults, and what they might be doing when they're alone together is nobody's business but their own."

"She really hasn't said anything to you, Care?"

"All I know is that if Hayley and Elijah are sleeping together, they are keeping it very quiet. So quiet that even I don't know about it."

Which, in theory, meant that they were not actually sleeping together. Though, at this point, if that were the case the question would be why not. "Why does that make me even more curious, now?"

"Because you're a worse gossip than I am, and I run the school paper?"

"Shut it, Joshua. I was not asking you." He looked around. "Hey! Where's our new librarian?"

"He takes his lunch at his desk. Some kids go to the library for lunch instead of eating. Somebody needs to be in there."

"And you're in here? I'm surprised you didn't want to eat in there."

"Klaus! Stop it. Just because you're not getting any, doesn't mean you get to make fun of those that might be."

"How do you know I'm not getting any, Caroline?"

Josh snorted, and Klaus glared at him. "Something you'd like to share, Josh?"

"Nothing, Klaus. Nothing at all. But, now that I'm done eating, I think I'm going to go see if Aiden needs any help putting books away or something."

"Or something. Have fun."

Josh shook his head and walked out the door.

"You know, you guys are as bad as the students. Maybe even worse." Alaric had been so quiet since his comment defending the school lunches that Klaus had almost forgotten he was still there.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Says the man who was sitting here discussing his brother's sex life with his other brother two minutes ago. Seriously. You are a bunch of grown adults, sitting here gossiping about who is sleeping with who. Honestly, I would have expected more from Finn, at least."

"You forget, Alaric. I may be an old married man, and a father, but Elijah and Klaus are still my brothers. Teasing them is my job."

"No. Teaching Political Science is your job. Teasing your brothers is…"

"Give it up, Ric. Word of advice from someone who is not an only child. We may not get paid for teasing our siblings, but it is still our job."

"Thank you, Damon."

The warning bell rang, then, and they all cleaned up after themselves and walked out of the room.

**~TFMFHTL~**

Klaus walked to the art room and pulled out his student list for his next class. He smiled when he saw Hope's name on it. Well, there was at least one student who had some talent this period. Not just talent, but an actual interest in his subject. He knew he shouldn't let it bother him that most of his students did the bare minimum they needed to pass. But, sometimes it did. It would be nice if he could find more students that actually wanted to be in his class.

He couldn't help thinking about what Elijah had said to him that morning. About him finding a new job. Maybe after this year he would start looking into working at an actual art school. He had mostly been staying to see Hope through her senior year. Once this summer hit, that was no longer going to be an issue. Maybe it was time.

Not that he was going to make any decisions, yet. In fact, he wouldn't even talk to Alaric about it unofficially until he had talked to his siblings. Because, as much as he jokingly complained about it this morning, working with his siblings, getting to see them in the teacher's lounge before school and at lunch, was one of the best parts of this job. He wasn't sure he really wanted to give that up.

He smiled at Hope as the students started coming in and she took a seat at the table closest to his desk. Working with his siblings, getting a guaranteed forty minutes a day with Hope, and the few moments when he found a student who had both actual potential and a desire to explore that potential were almost enough to make up for how mind-numbing most of his day tended to be.

He went through the usual first day of class stuff. His overview of what they would be learning and the projects he had planned for the year. There were a few students who seemed genuinely interested. And he smiled when Hope wasn't the only one who perked up when he mentioned an after school program to teach portrait painting. It was something he was quite happy he had finally talked Alaric into letting him do. The class would be too intensive for most of his students, and he didn't think there would be enough students interested in it to justify taking up a class period with it. But, offering it as an after school club had been declared doable, even if only a handful of students signed up.

And then the bell rang. "Okay. I'll see you all tomorrow. Sign up sheets for the portrait club will be posted by the end of the week. I hope to see some of your names on it."

Hope spent an inordinate amount of time straightening her supplies, until they were the only two still in the room. "Portraits, huh? It's about time. You waited until my last year here to do this? When I've been bugging you since before you even graduated from college?"

"I didn't want to put you on the spot by having you be my only student. And this was the first year I've been able to get Alaric to go along with it."

"Well, I think you'll have at least a few sign-ups. Maybe I'll convince Landon to go."

"Please don't. Hope, he's your boyfriend, and I know that you love him. But… his creative talents lean more towards music. Let it stay that way."

"You need to cut him some slack, Klaus. He's not going anywhere."

"You're seventeen. You're going away to college in a year. Things can change."

"You do know that Mom and Dad started dating in high school, right?"

"That was a different time."

"It was the eighties. It wasn't really all _that_ different. Besides. Maybe you're right. Maybe I won't end up marrying him. But, that doesn't mean you get to treat him like crap in the meantime."

He really didn't want to have this conversation, right now. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

She shrugged. "I have study hall next period. So, we can talk until your next class starts to file in, and then you can write me a pass to get me out of the first few minutes of study hall. You can even put a time stamp on it so I can't dilly-dally on my way there."

"And, unfortunately for me, I am free next period. So, I don't even have that excuse to kick you out." He glared at her when her eyes lit up. "You are not going to make a habit out of spending your study period in here talking to me. Today is the first day, so I'll let it go. But you're going to have homework you could be working on."

"Fine! But, on days that I don't have homework to do, I am your problem."

"Lucky me."

She gave him an impish grin. "You love it, and you know it. So, big brother. Let's talk more about this after school class of yours. And what I can do to get you more students."

He sighed. "I will make you a deal. I will do my best to cut Landon some slack where you are concerned. If you don't get him to sign up for the portrait class."

"Why are you so adamant about that, anyway?"

"Because having Landon in the class would defeat the purpose." He ran his hands through his hair. "Elijah and Hayley were talking in the teacher's lounge during lunch. About why we do this. Why we subject ourselves to some of the things that get thrown at us doing this job."

"Tell me you don't mean that literally."

He had to laugh at that. "I really don't know. I'm sure we've all had things thrown at us at some point. But, mostly no. Mostly that was metaphorical."

"Okay. So, what does them wondering why you guys teach have to do with you not wanting Landon in your class?"

"They were talking about that moment. The moment teachers live for, when a student just _gets _what they've been trying to teach them. And the students that come into their class with a real desire to learn what they're trying to teach them. And… it made me realize just how rare that moment really is. And, it's different for them. They are at least cramming knowledge into these kids' heads. Maybe the kids will never actually _use _that knowledge, but they can say that they're doing something, at least."

"You teach us things, Klaus. Maybe fewer people will use the knowledge you're cramming into our heads than is the case for Hayley, or even Elijah, but you do teach us."

"The thing is, Hope… that passion in a student… For them, it's a bonus. For me? It's supposed to be the _point._ I teach a subject that is supposed to be all about passion and feeling. And for most of my students, it's not. The lack of talent I can deal with. I can teach technique. I can even teach techniques that would make up for a lack of talent. But passion and fire and emotion… All the things that my subject are supposed to be about? I can't teach those, Hope. Nobody can. You don't realize it, because you _do_ have those things."

"Klaus…"

"I don't want Landon in my portrait class for the same reason that I want to have the class in the first place. Because that is the one class I can teach here that is _only _for students who genuinely want to be there. Who want to learn this particular thing. I'm hoping that you won't be the only one who is passionate about it. But, Hope… I don't want anyone there that you have to talk into being there. It would defeat the purpose. At least for me. Give me one class. Give me one hour a week where I'm surrounded by people who are truly enjoying themselves. Who care about what I'm teaching them. That's all I ask."

"You know, you might still not have anyone that's actually talented. Even I may end up sucking at it."

He laughed. "I'm aware. But, like I said. I don't mind a lack of talent. It's the lack of passion that is getting to me. Give me a stick figure that the artist poured his soul into. I'd rather that than technically perfect drawings that were done just because I told them to and they need to pass my class to graduate." He smiled. "You're an artist. I'm sure you can understand. You can tell. Just by looking at it."

She gave him a searching look."Are you okay?"

"Yeah." And then he realized that talking to his siblings needed to start with Hope. It would affect her the least of everyone, since she would already be gone once it became an issue. But, she had something none of the others had. An ability to truly understand. She was the only other artist in the family. Elijah had his piano, but that was a hobby. It wasn't his life, the way art was for Klaus and Hope. He took a deep breath. "But, I think this is going to be my last year here. I'm going to apply to some art schools as a teacher. And honestly? If I don't get a job at any of them, I think I might look into a grammar school. Little kids may not have much in the way of talent or technique, but…"

"But, they pour their tiny little hearts and souls into those stick figures. Not that I think you'll need to go that route. You're really good. And you've been keeping up on your own portfolio, right?"

"Of course. Just try to keep me from painting."

"So… this is probably both our last year here. Just… do me a favor?"

"We will compare offers so that we don't both end up at the same school. As much as I would love to continue teaching you, you need to be allowed your independence."

"Thank you. And hopefully Elijah won't try to get you to change your mind on that. He just might see this as the perfect opportunity to keep tabs on me."

"He worries about you. He kind of has to. It is literally ninety percent of the job description of being your guardian. The other ten percent being keeping a roof over your head and food on your plate."

"Yeah…"

"He's always going to worry about you, Hope. But his heart is in the right place. He's trying."

"I know. And I really don't mind for myself. But, he kind of gave up his life for me. Can I tell you something that I've never told anyone? Not even Landon or Lizzie?"

"You can tell me anything. You know that."

"I've never stopped blaming myself for him and Katherine breaking up. Do you think that if he hadn't agreed to take custody of me, that they'd be married by now?"

"Honestly? No. I don't. If they were meant to be then they would still be together. You didn't cause that. She did. She didn't love him enough to stick around when the two of you became a package deal. That's on her. That is not on you. If anything, you probably saved him from making a huge mistake."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that maybe he would have married her. Whether they'd still be married now is another story. And they certainly wouldn't be happy. There's somebody out there for him, Hope. Somebody who will love him the way he deserves to be loved. Somebody who will love _you_ and will be happy to have you home for school vacations. Somebody who thinks that how close he is to all of us is a blessing, not a curse. But, Katherine Pierce was never going to be that somebody. Not even before Mom and Dad died. All him getting custody of you did to their relationship is show them how completely incompatible they really were. Okay?"

"I just… even taking that into account… He hasn't dated at all. Maybe him breaking up with Katherine was a good thing. But… it would be really nice if this mythical woman you're talking about would actually show up. He doesn't say anything, probably because he doesn't want me to feel guilty, but… I think he's lonely."

Klaus was already starting to wonder if Elijah had, in fact, found that woman. For all his jokes about Elijah and Hayley sleeping together, he was actually thinking that it went deeper than that. He made a mental note to talk to Caroline, and maybe Finn and Josh. Because Hope was right about one thing. It was past time that Elijah stopped putting his own life on hold. Not that he was about to tell her about his suspicions, just yet. "Have you talked to him about this, at all?"

"No. I've been kind of afraid to bring it up. Didn't want to open old wounds, and all."

"Talk to him, Hope. It's not doing either of you any good to keep this all bottled up. And he deserves to know this. Did you at least tell your therapist?"

When she shook her head he sighed. "Hope. Talking about things like that is literally her job. Whether you're ready to talk to Elijah or not, you need to at least talk to her. Okay?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Fine. I will talk to my therapist. About how I'm feeling guilty because I think that my existence is putting a damper on my older brother's sex life. This should be fun."

He laughed. "Maybe don't phrase it quite like that when you talk to him about it, though." And then the end of class bell sounded. "All right. You need to get to class. And I have to get ready for my next class. I'll see you later."

It wasn't until after she left that he realized what he had said. He didn't give the idea of him applying to art schools as a possibility, but as something he was going to do. He still needed to talk to the others, they deserved to hear his plans. But… it seemed that while talking to Hope, he had made his decision. With any luck, this would be his last year at Mystic Falls High.


End file.
